A film featuring families from Greater Manchester who receive respite care and support from Francis House Children's Hospice, had its first screening recently at a Hollywood themed ball held at The Mere Resort and Spa, near Cheshire.

More than five hundred guests attended the black tie fundraiser, which annually raises more than £100k, and were the first to view the moving film produced by Manchester based Doodledo Motion.

One family who feature are the Brookshaw’s from Ashton-Under-Lyne.

Mum Andrea, emotionally describes the morning almost four years ago, when the eldest of her three daughters Isabel, awoke in a critical condition.

“Isabel was fine up to being seven-years-old. A normal kid going to primary school and just about to do her Sats in year 2. She just woke up one morning and couldn’t breathe, couldn’t talk, couldn’t move,” said Andrea. “She went to A&E and was put on a ventilator for 16 days.”

Although no formal diagnosis was given, it was suspected that Isabel had suffered a serious inflammation of the brain. She remained in hospital on a rehabilitation ward for 6 months with Andrea by her bedside.

“I remember one day they turned up with a wheelchair for her. I just thought it was for while she was in hospital, I had no idea it would be a long-term thing.”

In spite of their desperate need, many families find it difficult to accept that their child could be eligible for the help and support from their local children’s hospice.

“We looked around Francis House and it’s not what you think it would be like at all, all you hear is laughing, it’s a really happy place. You forget it’s a hospice, it’s just somewhere that we all come to as a family and we make lovely memories.”

Isabel now 11, has regained her sight and is learning to eat again.

The video is presented by Coronation Street actress Sally Dynevor. She describes filming at Francis House as a ‘privilege’.

“I am very pleased to be taking part in this video,” she said. “Every time I come I meet children who are very poorly, but here they are supported with their families. It’s a wonderful charity and I’m just so pleased to be part of it.”

It is hoped the video will inspire others to get in touch with the charity and support it. The video can be viewed at www.francishouse.org.uk/video

The charity relies on public donations to fund 88% of its income.

Based in Didsbury, Francis House supports over 1200 people at any one time from across Greater Manchester, including Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Manchester, Salford and Trafford.

A couple from Greater Manchester were able to go on honeymoon thanks to the support provided by Francis House Children’s Hospice.

Lynne and Simon Veichmanis met fifteen years ago, and had their first child Jack, now 13, when Lynne was nineteen.

Jack has cerebral palsy, but it was after the birth of their daughter five years later, that the lives of the family from Brandlesholme, Bury were changed forever.

Mia was born with a life-limiting condition called Jacobsen syndrome. A rare genetic disorder which affects only 1 in 100,000 people and causes delayed development, cognitive and behavioural problems.

During the first few years of the little girl’s life, the family endured prolonged hospital stays.

Mia also has epilepsy and Paris-Trousseau syndrome a blood platelet disorder. A simple cut requires immediate medical attention in A&E with tranexamic acid to stop the bleeding.

Lynne 33, gave up working in the family’s chip shop in Radcliffe to care for her daughter twenty four hours a day seven days a week.

“From the minute she wakes up she’s very vocal and very loud, she lets everyone know she’s around,” said Lynne “Mia is a live wire, and wants her own way all of the time and she gets it!”

When the couple finally married in 2016, a surprise honeymoon was organised by Simon without Lynne’s knowledge.

Only after discovering that Jack was to stay with Lynne’s mum and that Francis House had arranged to care for Mia to enable the newlyweds to enjoy a much needed break, did Lynne agree to fly to Benidorm.

Lynne said: “My mind was at ease because I knew she’d be having a ball here. She’s been coming for short breaks since she was around two years old. The bond she has with the staff is amazing. They know what she is like with biting and pinching and she has quite a temper. But she also is very loving and has a beautiful smile.

“The honeymoon was a precious time for us. Simon and I have never been away just the two of us. We sat on the plane and it was a big relief knowing she was safe and being well looked after.”

“For those seven days we had quality time together all because Francis House could do that for us.”

Husband Simon 39, runs Jack’s Chippy in Radcliffe, where he works six days a week, from six in the morning until half past nine at night.

Lynne cannot praise the care and support provided by Francis House highly enough and has even helped to refer two neighbouring families from Bury who both now come for respite care at the hospice.

“Mia loves coming here, when we turn at the traffic lights she is so excited and she starts laughing louder and louder. They take her to the farm and bowling alley and she loves the garden.”

“It’s easy driving here, and at the end of the day even if it took me hours to get here it wouldn’t bother me because seeing her so happy makes it all worthwhile.”

Whilst Mia is cared for at Francis House it allows Lynne and Simon to spend valuable time with Jack.

“For Jack’s birthday we could do what Jack wanted. Mia was at Francis House enjoying herself and we went on the Manchester City tour as they both are big City fans. Being able to do what Simon and Jack both love was so amazing.”

The Greater Manchester children’s charity hold the annual ‘Festival of Trees’ to raise funds in the run up to Christmas.

More than fifty trees are now on display, decorated by local and national organisations, social clubs and groups.

The spectacle also includes a Coronation Street signed tree thanks to actress and hospice supporter Sally Dynevor, who asked cast members to contribute their signatures.

Donations of exclusive gifts and decorations cover the trees including - a Manchester City tree, a tree of mini-cricket bats signed by Lancashire County Cricket Club, and hundreds of pounds of products and vouchers from Dulux decorating centre, Virgin Media and Towers Business Park.

Francis House fundraiser Mary Gillatt said: “This year’s ‘Festival of Trees’ is looking to be our biggest and best yet. We’d like to thank Gemma, Sally and the many individuals and companies for their fantastic support. We also have a tree decorated by some of the children who use Francis House. We hope lots of people will come and see the display and show their support by bidding on a tree.”

Tens of thousands of pounds has been raised over the years by members of the public placing a bid on their favourite tree. The highest bidder can then take the tree home in time for Christmas.

Festive gifts and promotional goods will also be available to purchase in the pop-up shop, a unit generously provided by the Lowry Outlet.

The display is on until Sunday December 10.

Francis House Children’s Hospice serves the north west of England and provides respite care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions and the necessary support and short-term rest for their families.

Francis House Children’s Hospice is thrilled to have received a £40,687 donation from retailer The Range. The donation will go towards funding the day-to-day care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and the necessary support and short-term rest for their families.

The Range is one of the country’s fastest growing home, garden and leisure superstores, with 140 stores currently trading. As the business has continued to expand and become increasingly popular, the owner is pleased to be able to support a very worthwhile local charity.

A spokesperson for The Range said; “We are delighted to be able to donate to such a good cause. We have stores in Altrincham, Eccles and Warrington so are pleased to be able to give something back to the community, especially to a charity that relies heavily on voluntary contributions.”

Francis House offers care and support for the whole family in the Greater Manchester area. Home care, day care, end of life care, as well as sibling, parent and bereavement support are just a few of the vital services that Francis House can offer, to ensure that children and their families can make the most of the time they have together.

David Ireland, chief executive of Francis House Children’s Hospice, said of the donation from the retailer: “We are really grateful to have been considered for this wonderfully generous donation. It came out of the blue and at a time when all children’s hospices are experiencing cash flow problems. It will be used very effectively, currently out of every £1 we spend 83p goes directly towards the care of the children and young adults. A donation of this size pays for a registered nurse for a whole year. On behalf of Francis House and the 460 families we support from across the north west of England I would like to express our grateful thanks.”

Francis House services are completely free of charge to families that need them. It offers a unique service to children and their families, relying primarily on the generosity of the public, its corporate supporters and volunteers.

For more information about Francis House Children’s Hospice visit www.francishouse.org.uk and to find out more about The Range visit www.therange.co.uk

Denton-based Francis Kirk Group has confirmed that it has committed to a two-year fundraising programme for Francis House Children’s Hospice.

Francis House Children’s Hospice supports hundreds of families from across the north west of England by providing respite care for children, teenagers and young adults with life-limiting conditions.

The fifth-generation family company is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers and distributors of engineering and fastener products and will be supporting the charity for the rest of 2017 and into 2018 – their 150th anniversary year.

Francis House in Didsbury has offered a free home from home experience for children under 16 since 1991. To mark its 25th anniversary last year, the charity celebrated the official opening of Francis Lodge by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - a new wing of the hospice for teenagers and young adults.

Leading the initiative at Francis Kirk Group is Managing Director Tom Kirk. He said: “We are delighted to announce this partnership with Francis House – very aptly named for us! It is a very special charity and we look forward to working together to help fund the vital care, support and friendship that Francis House gives to children, young adults and their families across the region.”

The company has already starting planning an annual Golf Day in September which aims to raise over £5000 and Tom will be encouraging everyone in the company, plus customers and suppliers to get behind the campaign.

Immediate fundraising opportunities in the next few months include the popular Cheshire 3 Peaks Walk in June and the Gauntlet Games in September where entrants take on 20 fun obstacles in a 5 or 10K race.

Special activities to mark the company’s 150th anniversary year in 2018 are also under discussion.

David Ireland, chief executive of Francis House, said of the commitment from Francis Kirk Group: “We are so pleased to have them on board. We are reliant on donations to continue our work so their support is invaluable. Having just celebrated our 25th anniversary it is special to be a part of an amazing 150th year with them. We will be looking to make it a fundraising year to remember for everyone.”

After a quarter of a century of producing more than 300,000 meals for the families of children with life-limiting conditions, the kitchen at Francis House has undergone a major makeover.

In desperate need of a refurb, the cramped cupboards and small serving hatch have been replaced by modern sleek units. A large island complete with sinks also adds space for food preparation.

To celebrate the occasion, chef and Channel 4 Sunday Brunch host Simon Rimmer officially opened the new kitchen.

Among those in attendance were volunteers and staff including Francis House chef Dean Jenkins, who has worked at the hospice since it first opened in 1991.

“It looks amazing, the size of the kitchen that Dean’s got to work in now is going to make life much easier and give him and the volunteers the opportunity to cook more varied things. It will be brilliant for everyone,

“I’ve always been a big supporter of Francis House, the work they do here is unbelievable. I’m honoured to be the person to open the kitchen.” said Simon.

Dean from Withington, heads up a dedicated team of volunteers who travel to the Didsbury-based hospice from across the region to help with daily food preparation, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as washing up.

He said: “The kitchen was ready for an upgrade, it was quite big but didn’t use the space well. At the beginning we had domestic ovens now we have catering ovens, we’ve come a long way since the early days.”

Kitchens are often described as the heart of the home, and this is certainly the case at Francis House.

Dean said: “For the children and families that come here, having a mealtime routine in lives that are often chaotic is extremely important,

“It takes the pressure off the parents, when they come here they don’t have to cook and worry about organising a meal. It really is a great place to work.”

The daily menu caters for all needs and is often adapted if parents have a preferred dish. Family favourites are vegetable hot pot and lasagne.

Restaurant owner Simon knows the joy people get for having a meal cooked for them.

He said: “There’s something nice about having a plate of food put in front of you. I’d be quite happy to sit down and someone bring me beans on toast because I haven’t had to do it, but then equally I think there’s something really lovely about cooking food and just saying ‘dig in’.”

An antiques valuation day held in Wilmslow to raise funds for Francis House Children’s Hospice has turned up some rare finds.

The event saw more than thirty members of the public through the doors at the Cheshire pub and restaurant the Coach and Four.

Fine arts expert Adrian Rathbone from Derbyshire based Hansons auctioneers, was delighted to uncover a rare piece of early pottery.

A Staffordshire slipware charger, one of the earliest types of primitive pottery before porcelain, was brought in by a local resident who had inherited it.

Adrian said: “It’s very rare to find a piece like this outside of a museum. The charger dates from around 1720 and will no doubt appeal to connoisseurs as an academic piece of historical importance.”

The charger could fetch between £1,500 and £2,000 and will go into a fine arts auction on June 30.

Anyone keen to know the value of their prized heirlooms can come along for a free valuation in return for a donation to Francis House.

Also of interest were a number of antique silver pieces including a large entrée dish from the early 19thcentury.

“It is very rare to find an entrée dish in solid silver, they are normally plated. I’ve only seen a few in my career. The owner felt it was time for the items to find a new home and was curious about their value,” said Adrian

The dish was valued at around £1,500.

The next valuation day is being held at The Coach & Four, 69/71 Alderley Road, Wilmslow SK9 1PA on Thursday May 18 between 11 am and 2pm.

A young Mum is to take part in the London Marathon with four fellow runners for Francis House Children’s Hospice.

Sian Dobson-Hughes, 32, from Cheadle in Greater Manchester, gave birth to baby Albie in September last year, and just 6 weeks later was back out running – often pushing the buggy as she trained.

A pastoral and academic care worker at Wright Robinson College in Gorton in Manchester, Sian looks after the progress of vulnerable students.

Sian said: “I have spent my working life supporting young people and children who are born into difficult circumstances, and for the last seven years I have committed myself to various sports-related challenges to raise money for charities in and around the Manchester area.”

During the cold winter months Sian and training buddy Lauren Iredale, pounded the cold rainy streets of Manchester in preparation for the 26.2 mile course.

“I massively missed running when I was pregnant and wanted to challenge myself as soon as possible. On New Year’s Eve I ran 13 miles and felt great, it was good to know I still had a relatively good level of fitness,” said Sian.

With the support of her family, Sian and husband Rory Scott took part in the Limassol Marathon in March, less than 6 months after Sian gave birth.

Sian said: “I am nervous and excited, Lauren has completed a marathon before and we’ll run the course together. We’re looking forward to crossing the finishing line and getting a medal,

“We chose Francis House not just because they care for the child or young person with life-limiting conditions but they also support the whole family, often for many years, through the difficult times they face,” said Sian.

Family and friends will be accompanying the pair to London, including baby Albie who will be seven months old on April 23, the day of the race.

The pals were given a special tour of the hospice by chief executive David Ireland. Joined by fellow marathon runners Tim Lovatt and James Gowin, employees at Altrincham based software firm Aquila Heywood, whose staff have been fundraising for the hospice for nearly 3 years.

“The months of training have been grueling but when you come to Francis House it’s incredible, and it’s only here because of donations from lots of people. So although the training has been pretty horrible, it really isn’t the worst thing in the world,” said Lauren.

The pair have set a fundraising target of £4,000. Sian and Lauren at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/SianandLozza